Skills Set Café is a Senior Student run café, providing a structured healthy choice meal experience to classes across the school. Students are elected to undertake specific roles within the program according to their capabilities and confidence.
Over the years a few versions of a café have been run by the students at our school. They have all been fantastic joy filled learning opportunities for our students.
This is how we currently have things running.
We are using a Project-based learning model where students explore real-world problems and challenges that capture their interest and provoke serious thinking as they acquire and apply new knowledge in a problem-solving context. The teachers play the role of facilitator, working with students to frame worthwhile questions, structuring meaningful tasks, coaching both knowledge development and social skills, and carefully assessing what students have learned from the experience. Our focus remains on developing functional literacy and numeracy, communication skills and positive choices for health.
The “Work Skills” component of the program involves students managing the school garden Halinda Green and running the Skills Set Café. A "work to learn" project runs parallel with Skill Set Café and Halinda Green to help our students develop financial literacy. You can read about this program here. work to learn program
These programs are highly structured and scaffolded with consistent repetitive routines where students can find their own level of participation. Peer modelling is an effective strategy that develops naturally as the program progresses. Students developed a sense of belonging to the team and work confidence. A high level of social support for all team members is critical to the success of the program. The provision of professional work uniforms for all projects raises students’ self-esteem and connection to the work project. When measuring success, small observable targets are paramount. These targets have high relevance to the functional aspects of the program to facilitate successful skill acquisition.
On Thursdays Two Senior classes prepare for and run the café. Each class in the school is allocated a week each term to attend the café. We are charging $3.00 for the café experience. They will pay their money to a café team member. Students attending the café will develop the social skills associated with eating out. . The café menu will reinforce skills learnt and offer new taste sensations for the students to explore around a shared table. The power of sharing can not be understated.The centre of the tables will have a tasting plate to share. It will have a vegetable dip and crackers or veg sticks to dip with. Students will learn how to eat from a shared plate eg no double dipping, not eating it all. This will give us the opportunity to try out new tastes and challenge the taste buds. The main meal may include pasta, stir frys, nachos, wraps, quiche, currys and soups.
By practicing eating skills in a café atmosphere by the time students are ready to attend their formal, or attend a dinner function with family, they will know how to behave and what is expected of them. For those students who don't eat we are still asking they sit at the table and share the experience calmly. Occasionally they do try things presented to them on the plate. They are encouraged to look feel and smell all the food. After running the program for a semester already, we have had some students surprise their teachers and parents by eating something new. The atmosphere in the room is very relaxing and enjoyable both for students and staff.
For the students running the café they will practice planning, shopping, cooking, and service. Embedded in these tasks are multiple opportunities for the development of literacy, money skills and communication skills. All team members will sit down and eat at the café once their jobs are complete. All café staff will help with clean up.
Skills Set Café is a Senior Student run café, providing a structured healthy choice meal experience to classes across the school. Students are elected to undertake specific roles within the program according to their capabilities and confidence.
Over the years a few versions of a café have been run by the students at our school. They have all been fantastic joy filled learning opportunities for our students.
This is how we currently have things running.
We are using a Project-based learning model where students explore real-world problems and challenges that capture their interest and provoke serious thinking as they acquire and apply new knowledge in a problem-solving context. The teachers play the role of facilitator, working with students to frame worthwhile questions, structuring meaningful tasks, coaching both knowledge development and social skills, and carefully assessing what students have learned from the experience. Our focus remains on developing functional literacy and numeracy, communication skills and positive choices for health.
The “Work Skills” component of the program involves students managing the school garden Halinda Green and running the Skills Set Café. A "work to learn" project runs parallel with Skill Set Café and Halinda Green to help our students develop financial literacy. You can read about this program here. work to learn program
These programs are highly structured and scaffolded with consistent repetitive routines where students can find their own level of participation. Peer modelling is an effective strategy that develops naturally as the program progresses. Students developed a sense of belonging to the team and work confidence. A high level of social support for all team members is critical to the success of the program. The provision of professional work uniforms for all projects raises students’ self-esteem and connection to the work project. When measuring success, small observable targets are paramount. These targets have high relevance to the functional aspects of the program to facilitate successful skill acquisition.
On Thursdays Two Senior classes prepare for and run the café. Each class in the school is allocated a week each term to attend the café. We are charging $3.00 for the café experience. They will pay their money to a café team member. Students attending the café will develop the social skills associated with eating out. . The café menu will reinforce skills learnt and offer new taste sensations for the students to explore around a shared table. The power of sharing can not be understated.The centre of the tables will have a tasting plate to share. It will have a vegetable dip and crackers or veg sticks to dip with. Students will learn how to eat from a shared plate eg no double dipping, not eating it all. This will give us the opportunity to try out new tastes and challenge the taste buds. The main meal may include pasta, stir frys, nachos, wraps, quiche, currys and soups.
By practicing eating skills in a café atmosphere by the time students are ready to attend their formal, or attend a dinner function with family, they will know how to behave and what is expected of them. For those students who don't eat we are still asking they sit at the table and share the experience calmly. Occasionally they do try things presented to them on the plate. They are encouraged to look feel and smell all the food. After running the program for a semester already, we have had some students surprise their teachers and parents by eating something new. The atmosphere in the room is very relaxing and enjoyable both for students and staff.
For the students running the café they will practice planning, shopping, cooking, and service. Embedded in these tasks are multiple opportunities for the development of literacy, money skills and communication skills. All team members will sit down and eat at the café once their jobs are complete. All café staff will help with clean up.